Banking Blues...and other Observations

Demetrios went to Home Depot to buy railings for our new porch. He used his new BankAmerica debit card, telling the clerk, "I'm not sure I have enough money in this new account, but try it and see if it goes through."

It did.

But the catch is, it shouldn't have. The account was $17 short.

So what does BankAmerica do? Sends us a letter saying we're being charged a $35 late fee. The money must be deposited within 5 days or they will charge another $35. Trouble is, we didn't receive that letter until 6 days afterward.

This morning, Demetrios went to the bank, paid the $70, and closed the account.

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In the news today, we learned that the nation's leading banks, the ones remaining after the others were creamed, are paying their top employees more than ever this year. In fact, the total amount they've set aside for these big bonuses is $75 billion. Wait, wait! Isn't that a familiar number, $75 billion? Oh, yes. That's the exact amount those banks have received so far in bailout money, which is to say, yours and my money!

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President Obama is no longer calling for "Health care reform." Now it's "Health Insurance Reform." Ah, so that's what it was all about all along! Not care, but insurance. Of course.

Whatever "reform" comes out of all this, you may be sure that the big interests (insurance companies, drug companies, doctors and hospitals, all of which are backing the "reform") will be getting as much money out of it as ever, in fact more. What will you and I get out of it? Cosmetic change only. It'll look good superficially.

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The United States is the only foreign power left in Iraq. All the other members of the coalition have brought their boys home. Our boys are not being brought home from Iraq; they're gradually being transferred to Afghanistan, just exactly as they would have been by now under President Bush.